Pillowcase Dress Instructional Lesson Can you measure with a measuring tape, cut with scissors, iron a crease, and sew simple stitches with a sewing machine to create a hem? If you answered YES! to all of these questions, then this sewing project is for YOU! All you need are these items to get started: a standard size pillowcase, ribbon, sewing machine, thread, a pencil, scissors, measuring tape, straight pins, a safety pin, an iron and ironing board, and this instructional pamphlet Turn them into this! Megan C. Murtaugh, 2011
2 Introduction This instructional lesson is intended for novice sewers interested in an inexpensive way of providing clothing for little girls in their family. Before beginning this instructional lesson the learner should complete the pre-test self-assessment Entry Skills Checklist p. 9. Once the pre-test has been successfully completed the learner may begin the lesson using the print based instructions. After completing the lesson, the learner will complete the post-test self-assessment by filling out the Pillowcase Dress Assessment pp. 10-11. Goal Statement When given a pillowcase and ribbon, an adult learner, such as a parent or grandparent, will transform these materials in their home, through the use of a sewing machine and other simple tools, into a dress suitable for a child ages two to six years old to wear as clothing. Objectives The objectives the learner should accomplish in this lesson include: 1) measure the length for the dress; 2) cut the pillowcase to the length needed to make the dress; 3) create two armholes; 4) create two casings; and 5) thread ribbons through both casings and tie at shoulders. A Completed Pillowcase Dress
3 Instructions Step 1 With a measuring tape, measure the length of the child you are making the dress for from the shoulder to the top of knee in inches. Then add one inch to that length for the total dress length (fig. 1). fig. 1 Step 2 Fold the standard size pillowcase in half lengthwise. Measure the total dress length that you calculated in Step 1 from the open, hemmed edge of the pillowcase to the top edge and mark in two places with a pencil (fig. 2). Use a pair of scissors to cut a straight line from one side of the pillowcase to the other passing through the measurement marks (fig. 3). fig. 2 fig. 3
4 Step 3 Keep the pillowcase folded in half lengthwise. Place the J-shaped armhole pattern (provide on page 8 of this pamphlet) onto the top unfinished edge of the pillowcase so that it is lined up with the open side of the fold. Trace the J-shaped armhole pattern onto the pillowcase. Next, cut out the J-shaped armhole that you traced onto the pillowcase (fig. 4). Turn the pillowcase inside out (fig. 5). *Now, fold ¼ inch hem in the U shaped armhole (fig. 6). Iron the hem to crease. Fold again ¼ inch. Iron again to crease. Secure ironed hem around U shaped armhole with straight pins. Stitch around the U shaped folded hem to complete the armhole (fig. 7). Repeat from the * on, to create the hem on the other armhole of your pillowcase dress. fig. 4 fig. 5 fig. 6 fig. 7
5 Step 4 Place the pillowcase on a flat surface. Fold over the front top unfinished edge ¼ inch. Iron to crease (fig. 8). Fold over the top edge again ¾ inch. Iron to crease Secure folded hem with straight pins (fig. 9). Sew across the bottom edge of the folded material (fig. 10) to create the front casing (the casing when created should have the right side showing fig. 10-11). Repeat this step again to create the back casing using the other top unfinished edge of the pillowcase. fig. 8 fig. 9 fig. 10 fig. 11
6 Step 5 Turn the pillowcase right side out. Attach a safety pin to a piece of ribbon that is 1 yard in length. Using the safety pin, guide the ribbon through the front casing (fig. 12). Tie a small knot in each end of the ribbon, once it has been threaded through the casing (fig. 13). Repeat this step with a second piece of ribbon, 1 yard in length, for the back casing. Finally, tie the threaded ribbons from the front and back of the pillowcase dress at the top of each shoulder (fig. 14). fig. 12 fig. 13 fig. 14 Fast and Easy! Pillowcase to Dress in 30 minutes or less! You can customize by adding iron-on appliques, buttons, ric-rac trim or ribbon to jazz up your pillowcase dress. Try using flannel or other thick fabric to make pillowcase dresses for colder weather. Add tights or leggings and a shirt underneath to adjust for cooler weather as well.
Cut out armhole pattern and trace the darkened arc onto the pillowcase as instructed in Step 2. 7
8 Entry Skills Checklist By checking the box in front of the statement the learner indicates that they can successfully complete the entry skill without assistance. Learner can measure the length of a pencil in inches, without assistance, in less than 15 seconds. Learner can cut a straight line from one side of an 8½ x11inch sheet of paper to the other side in less than 20 seconds. Learner can thread a sewing machine in 2 minutes or less. Learner can sew a basic stitch on a scrap of fabric, using a sewing machine, in less than 1 minute. Learner can sew a hem on a scrap of fabric, using a sewing machine, in less than 1 minute. Learner can iron a crease down one side of the fabric in less than 1 minute. Learner can squeeze a safety pin to open it and then squeeze it again to close it in less than 30 seconds. Learner can tie a knot in the end of a ribbon in less than 15 seconds. If you are able to complete ALL of the Entry Skills listed above without assistance, you may proceed with the pillowcase dress instructional lesson.
9 Pillowcase Dress Assessment By checking the box in front of the statement the learner indicates that the step described was completed successfully without assistance. 1.1- learner measured the length of the child model from the shoulder to the top of knee in inches, in less than 1 minute. 1.2- learner added one inch to the total measurement in less than 30 seconds. 2.1- learner folded the pillowcase in half lengthwise in less than 30 seconds. 2.2- learner marked the measurement calculated in 1.2 by measuring from the bottom of the hemmed portion of the pillowcase to the top, in less than 1 minute. 2.3- learner cut straight across the top of the pillowcase where the marked measurement from 2.1 was placed, in less than 30 seconds. 3.1- learner cut out J shaped armhole pattern (provided on p. 8) in less than 1 minute. 3.2- learner placed the J shaped armhole pattern onto the top unfinished edge of the pillowcase so that it is lined up with the open side of the fold in less than 30 seconds. 3.3- learner traced the J shape pattern at the top open edge of the pillowcase in less than 1 minute. 3.4- learner cut the J shape, which was traced in the previous step, out in less than 1 minute. 3.5- learner turned the pillowcase inside out in less than 20 seconds. 3.6- learner folded ¼ inch hem along the U shaped armhole (fig. 6) in less than 1 minute. 3.7- learner ironed the folded hem to crease it in less than 1 minute. 3.8- learner folded over the U shaped armhole ¼ inch again in less than 1 minute. 3.9- learner ironed the folded hem to crease it in less than 1 minute. 3.10- learner secured ironed hem around the U shaped armholes with straight pins in less than 2 minutes. 3.11- learner stitched around the U shaped folded hem to complete the armhole in less than 2 minutes. 3.12- learner repeated 3.6-3.11 to hem other armhole in less than 8 minutes. 4.1- learner folded the front top unfinished edge of the pillowcase over ¼ inch in less than 1 minute. 4.2- learner ironed folded hem to make a crease in less than 1 minute.
10 4.3- learner folded the front top piece of the pillowcase over again ¾ inch in less than 1 minute. 4.4- learner ironed folded hem to make a crease in less than 1 minute. 4.5- learner sewed across the bottom edge of the folded/ironed material to create the front casing in less than 2 minutes. 4.6- learner repeated 4.1-4.5 to create a casing on the back side of the pillowcase dress in less than 6 minutes. 5.1- learner turned the pillowcase right side out in less than 20 seconds. 5.2- learner attached a safety pin to a ribbon, 1 yd. in length, in less than 30 seconds. 5.3- learner threaded the ribbon through the front casing in less than 30 seconds. 5.4- learner tied a small knot in each end of the ribbon in less than 30 seconds. 5.5- learner repeated 5.2-5.4 to thread ribbon through back casing in less than 90 seconds. 5.6- learner tied a bow using the threaded ribbons from the front and back of the pillowcase dress at the top of each shoulder, in less than 30 seconds. If you completed each step correctly you have created you very first pillowcase dress. CONGRATULATIONS!